shurz



B. F. SHURZ.

3 SheetsSheet 1.

CYCLE.

(No Model.)

No. 588,361. Patented Aug. 17,1897.

ATTORNEY-5.

(NoModeL) 3 Sheefis-Sheetfi. B. P. SHURZ. CYCLE.

No. 588,361. Patented Aug. 17,1897.

8 W/T/VEvSSl S: .5842

INVENTOI? ATTORNEYS.

WZWM W (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

I B. F. SHURZ.

CYCLE.

Patented Aug. 17,1897.,

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS WWW ms roams FEYEHS cu. menu lmu. wuuwwou, u 1,,

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

BENJAMIN F. snuRz, OF MARION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR on ONE-THIRD TO EDWARD HUBER, or SAME PLACE.

" CYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,361, dated August 17, 1897. Application filed il'anuary ll, 1897. Serial No. 618,721. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SHURZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cycles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cycles designed to be ridden by two persons side by side.

My invention consists, first, of the general arrangement and. organization of the machine and, secondly, of various special features, among others the elongated hub of the rear wheel with the driving-pinion near its inner end,whereby space is providedbetween the driving-chain and the wheel for the limb ofthe rider; the lower rear'member of the seat-fra'mein one piece from the axle forward and then divided or forked with the hangercasing secured to the forks; the adjustable relation of the rear axle to the driving-shaft by means of the lower memberof the seatframe, and'a clip on the axle with the adj ustingscrew; the construction of the fifth-wheel involving a clip fixed to the frame, a plate secured to the front axle, and a ball-bearing between the clip and the plate; the steering devices-in which the wheel-spindles are swiveled to the axle and have a slotted arm whose lateral movements are controlled by a pivoted link, whereby the deflecting of the wheel is limited, and a guide-surface on the frame working in conjunction with arms carried by the front axle to guide the axle in its up-anddown vibrations, and to certain other features hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, on which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cycle. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 4. is a partial section and elevation in detail, on an enlarged scale, of one of the steering-posts and the forward member of the frame. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of another part of the frame, showing the forked lower member and hanger-shell; Fig. 6, an enlarged detail plan View of a part of the steering devices; Fig. 7, a detail front view of the fifthwheel and the adjacent parts; Fig. 8, a sectional view on the line as 00 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 9, a rear elevation of a portion of the rear axle, its clip, and a truss-rod; Fig. 10, a detail side elevation of the adjustable connection between the axle and the seat-frame; Fig. 11,

an axial sectional view of the rear hub and wheel-bearin gs with the axle in elevation, and Fig. 12 a detail perspective view of the axleguide and adjacent parts.-

The letter A designates the side branches of the general frame. These branches are connected together by a cross-bar B, a crossbrace C, oblique braces D, and other oblique braces E. Each branch is composed of parts a, b, and 0, divided into forks d e, and parts f and g. The parts 0 are connected with the rear axle by means of clips F, which fit thereon, and are divided at their lower end, as seen at G, so as to clamp the parts 0 by means of nuts H on a truss-rod I, connected at the middle by a post J with the axle K. The clip F carries an adjusting-screw L, which impinges against the partb or other portion of the frame, so that by turning the screw it will force the clip rearward on the part 0 of the frame and thus elongate the frame and separate the rear axle from the driving-shaft, whereby the drive-chain may be tightened.

A suitable seat lWI with its post 0 is fitted to the part a of each branch of the frame. A hanger shell or cylinder P is connected with the parts 0 and e of the frame and adapted through the usual or any approved form of ball-bearings (not shown) to carry the driving-shaft Q with its cranks and pedals B. These parts enter into the completion of each branch of the frame. A sprocket-wheel S on each'crank driving-shaft operates a drivingchain T, which passes over driving sprocketpinions U, secured to the rear hubs V, which are mounted on the rear axle K by means of ball-bearings WV and X. the hub V is elongated, so that the rear Wheels Yare located a sufficient distance from the driving-chain to give ample room for the limb and clothing, whether of a male or female rider, between the wheel and chain. This feature is one of value in the practical opera- It will be seen that tion of the machine. Referring now to the other end of the frame it will be seen that each part g carries a handle-post h by means of suitable ball-bearingsi and j, and that the lower end of the handle-post is equipped with a tiller 1, which carries a pitman a, which connects witha cross-bar 0, which in turn interconnects with arms 19, rigidly secured to the heads g on the wheel-spindles 7'. These armsp have slots 3, through which pass pins or bolts 1, by which the cross-bar 0 is slidingly connected with the arms 1) and by which also linksu are slidingly connected with said arms, the other ends of the links being pivoted to the front axle, as shown at o. \Vhen the cross-bar o is shifted laterally through the handles and the intermediate connections, the front wheels 20, which are mounted upon the spindles r, are deflected, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, in order to guide the machine in different directions. The pivoted links it serve to limit the deflection of the wheels by throwing the pin i into the outer or inner end of the slot 5 in the respective arms 2). Thus I have provided a set of swiveled front wheels with steering devices and limiting devices, so that the wheels cannot be turned far enough to tend to tip or capsize the machine by turning them too suddenly and so that the wheel cannot become involved with the frame. This brings me to a description of the fifth-wheel construction by which the front axle is connected with the frame in a manner to allow said axle to rise and fall at either end without twisting or tipping the frame. This fifth-wheel construction consists of a clip I, secured to or hung upon the crossbar 13, and of a plate 3, secured as by being clamped to the front axle by means of a bolt 4 and suitable plates or washers 5. The axle is composed of two parts 6 and 7, preferably in the form of tubes, like the rear axle. These parts 6 and 7 are brought near together in their middle portion and spread apart near their outer ends, as seen in Fig. 2. The bolt 4 besides clamping the front axle to the plate 3 forms also the king-bolt by which the axle and plate 3 are pivoted to the clip 2. Ballraces 8 and 9 are formed in the clip 2 and plate 3, and balls 10 are placed therein to constitute aball-bearing. A gasket 11, of felt, between the clip 2 and plate 3 cuts off dust from entering this ball-bearing.

Thus I have provided a fifth-wheel construction which allows the axle to vibrate in a vertical plane in the easiest manner and without wabbling from a vertical plane, as the ball-bearing forms a broad contact-surface measuring from the center outward.

The front axle carries guide-rollers 12, which work against guide-surfaces form ed by a plate 13, secured to each of the parts 9 of the frame, by which the axle is prevented from sagging backward at the ends.

I will now refer to the connection of the head 1 of the spindles with the axle. As be fore observed, this front axle is made in two pieces, which are spread apart near the ends. A bracket 14 is secured to each end of the axle, and a trunnion-pin 15 is carried by the lower end of the bracket, while a set-screw 1G is carried by the upper end. The head (1 is recessed to receive this pin and screw,which act as trunnions for it, while the screw takes up slack and wear.

It will be observed that I have produced a cycle in which are combined numerous points of advantage and utility-namely, that the frame is divided into branches, each branch carrying a pedal-shaft with a sprocket-wheel on the outside of the respective branches, and that the two branches are braced together at their forward and rear ends, this outside position of the sprocket wheels and pinions removing them from interference by or with the rear braces; that each branch has a rearwardly-adjustable clip in which the rear axle is fixed and by which it is adjusted rearward, so as to tighten the chains, while the hubs of the rear axle are extended inward and have sprocket-pinions for said chains; also, that both axles extend beyond the branches about onefourth of their length, so that the front wheels will have space to swivel and allow the cycle to turn in a short space, and the rear wheels will be removed sufi'ieiently from the chains, which must be on the outside of the branches, to accommodate the outer limb and the clothing of the operators; also, that I have provided for limiting the swivel of the front wheels, so that they will not come in contact with the front parts of the frame, notwithstanding they can turn very short. Thus I have organized and combined together the requisite features for a successful and attractive cycle of this character and have embodied these features in a simple and effective mechanism.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cycle of the character shown and described, two frame branches A, A, a front axle horizontally pivoted to a cross-bar of the frame, wheels swiveled to the ends of said axle, a guiding-handle carried by each branch of the frame, tillers, pitmen, a cross-bar and arms connecting said handles with the spindles of said wheels, and pivoted links carried by the axle and slidingly engaging with said arms to'limit the deflection of the wheels, clips on the rear of each branch, means to adjust the clips rearward, a rear axle mounted in said clips, a pedal-shaft in each branch carrying a sprocket-wheel, a chain on each sprocketwheel, a wheel on each end of the rear axle with a pinion on the inner end of the hub of each of said wheels, said pinions carrying said chains, the slack of which is taken up by the rearward adj ustability of said clips, cross-braces between said branches at the front and rear, said sprocket wheels, pinions and chains being on the outside of the branches to clear said braces, and both of said axles with their wheels extending beyond the branches about onefourth their length to permit the forward Wheels to swivel enough to turn short and the rear wheels to give space between them and the chains for the operators. 1

2. In a cycle, the combination with a frame composed of two branches having a cross-bar, of a front axle connected thereto, wheels swiveled to the axle, actuating-handles carried by each branch of the frame, connections between said handles and said wheels, including arms secured to the head of the wheelspindles, and a limiting devicewhich determines the extent the wheels maybe deflected 'by the handles, said device consisting of said arms and of links slidingly connected to said arms and pivoted to the axle.

3. In a cycle, the combination with a frame composed of two branches having a crossbar, of a front axle pivoted thereto, wheels swiveled to the axle, a guiding-handle carried by each branch of the frame, tillers, pitmen, a cross-bar and arms connecting said handles with the spindles of said wheels, and pivoted links carried by the axle and slidingly engaging with said arms to limit the de flection of the wheels.

4. In a cycle, the combination with the front axle, wheels swiveled thereto whose spindles have slotted arms, across-bar and links pivoted to the axle and with the cross-bar connected to said arms through pins in said slots, a frame having guiding-handles and means connecting said handles with the cross-bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. SHURZ.

\Vitnesses:

J NO. A. WALFoRD, W. E. PARKER. 

